Proverbs 30:10
WEB
“Don’t slander a servant to his master, lest he curse you, and you be held guilty.
BSB
Do not slander a servant to his master, or he will curse you, and you will bear the guilt.
KJV
Accuse not a servant unto his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty.
Matthew Henry
Hebrew interlinear
H408
adv — not, nothing
Derivation: a negative particle (akin to 3808);
not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (Job 24:25) as a noun, nothing
KJV: nay, neither, + never, no, nor, not, nothing (worth), rather than.
adv. of negation — not
אַל adv. of negation, denying however, not objectively as a fact, but subjectively as a wish, expressing therefore a deprecation or prohibition
H3960
v — wag the tongue, calumniate
Derivation: a primitive root; properly, to lick; but used only as a denominative from 3956;
to wag the tongue, i.e. to calumniate
KJV: accuse, slander.
H5650
n-m — servant
Derivation: from 5647;
a servant
KJV: × bondage, bondman, (bond-) servant, (man-) servant.
n.m — slave
עֶ֫בֶד 799 n.m. slave, servant
1. slave, servant of household
2. Subjects, of chief
3. Servants, worshippers of God
4. Servant of י׳, in a special sense
5. Israel as a people is servant of י׳
6. In polite address of equals or superiors the Hebrews used עַבְדְּךָ thy servant = 1 pers. sing., I
7. Phrases
H413
prep — near, with, among, to
Derivation: (but only used in the shortened constructive form אֶל ); a primitive particle; properly, denoting motion towards, but occasionally used of a quiescent position, i.e.
near, with or among; often in general, to
KJV: about, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, × hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).
prep — motion to
אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph), prep. denoting motion to or direction towards (whether physical or mental).
1. of motion to or unto a person or place
2. Where the limit is actually entered, into
3. Of direction towards anything
4. Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against
5. Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to
6. Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of
7. Of rule or standard according to (rare)
8. Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion
9. Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to
H113
n-m — sovereign, controller
Derivation: or (shortened) אָדֹן; from an unused root (meaning to rule);
sovereign, i.e. controller (human or divine)
KJV: lord, master, owner. Compare also names beginning with 'Adoni-'.
n.m — lord
אָדוֹן n.m. lord (אֲדֹנִי, אֲדֹנַי, אֲדֹנָי are variations of Mass. pointing to distinguish divine reference fr. human. Pl., with few exc. an intens. pl. of rank; word takes sf. as pl. in all other pers.; so doubtless here. Orig. reading prob. in all cases אֲדֹנַי; אֲדֹנִי now found in J 51 t.)
H6435
conj — removal, lest
Derivation: from 6437;
properly, removal; used only (in the construction) adverb as conjunction, lest
KJV: (lest) (peradventure), that...not.
conj — lest
פֶּן־ 133 (alw. with Makkeph) conj. (adverting or deprecating), lest
1. with impf.
2. with Pf., the result feared being conceived as having possibly already taken place
H7043
v — be, make, light, swift, small, sharp, easy, trifling, vile
Derivation: a primitive root;
to be (causatively, make) light, literally (swift, small, sharp, etc.) or figuratively (easy, trifling, vile, etc.)
KJV: abate, make bright, bring into contempt, (ac-) curse, despise, (be) ease(-y, -ier), (be a, make, make somewhat, move, seem a, set) light(-en, -er, -ly, -ly afflict, -ly esteem, thing), × slight(-ly), be swift(-er), (be, be more, make, re-) vile, whet.
vb — be slight
[קָלַל] 82 vb. be slight, swift, trifling
Qal
1. be slight, of water, be abated
2. be swift
3. trifling, i.e. of little account
Niph.
1. shew oneself swift
2. appear trifling
3. be lightly esteemed
Pi. curse (prop. make contemptible)
Pu. be cursed
Hiph.
1. make light, lighten
2. treat with contempt
Pilp.
1. shake
2. (peculiarly) whet
Hithpalp. reflex. of 1: hills shook themselves
H816
v — be guilty, be punished, perish
Derivation: or אָשֵׁם; a primitive root;
to be guilty; by implication to be punished or perish
KJV: × certainly, be(-come, made) desolate, destroy, × greatly, be(-come, found, hold) guilty, offend (acknowledge offence), trespass.
vb — offend
אָשַׁם, אָשֵׁם vb. offend, be guilty
1. commit an offence, a trespass, do a wrong, or an injury
2. be or become guilty
3. be held guilty, bear punishment
Niph. suffer punishment
Hiph. declare them guilty
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Verses 10–14
Proverbs 30:10–14
Here is, I. A caution not to abuse other people's servants any more than our own, nor to make mischief between them and their masters, for it is an ill office, invidious, and what will make a man odious, Pro 30:10. Consider, 1. It is an injury to the servant, whose poor condition makes him an object of pity, and therefore it is barbarous to add affliction to him that is afflicted: Hurt not a servant with thy tongue (so the margin reads it); for it argues a sordid disposition to smite any body secretly with the scourge of the tongue, especially a servant, who is not a match for us, and whom we should rather protect, if his master be severe with him, than exasperate him more. 2. "It will perhaps be an injury to thyself. If a servant be thus provoked, perhaps he will curse thee, will accuse thee and bring thee into trouble, or give thee an ill word and blemish thy reputation, or appeal to God against thee, and imprecate his wrath upon thee, who is the patron and protector of oppressed innocency."
II. An account, upon occasion of this caution, of some wicked generations of men, that are justly abominable to all that are virtuous and good. 1. Such as are abusive to their parents, give them bad language and wish them ill, call them bad names and actually injure them. There is a generation of such; young men of that black character commonly herd together, and irritate one another against their parents. A generation of vipers those are who curse their natural parents, or their magistrates, or their ministers, because they cannot endure the yoke; and those are near of kin to them who, though they have not yet arrived at such a pitch of wickedness as to curse their parents, yet do not bless them, cannot give them a good word, and will not pray for them. 2. Such as are conceited of themselves, and, under a show and pretence of sanctity, hide from others, and perhaps from themselves too, abundance of reigning wickedness in secret (Pro 30:12); they are pure in their own eyes, as if they were in all respects such as they should be. They have a very good opinion of themselves and their own character, that they are not only righteous, but rich and increased with goods (Rev 3:17), and yet are not cleansed from their filthiness, the filthiness of their hearts, which they pretend to be the best part of them. They are, it may be, swept and garnished, but they are not washed, nor sanctified; as the Pharisees that within were full of all uncleanness, Mat 23:25, Mat 23:26. 3. Such as are haughty and scornful to those about them, Pro 30:13. He speaks of them with amazement at their intolerable pride and insolence: "Oh how lofty are their eyes! With what disdain do they look upon their neighbours, as not worthy to be set with the dogs of their flock! What a distance do they expect every body should keep; and, when they look upon themselves, how do they strut and vaunt like the peacock, thinking they make themselves illustrious when really they make themselves ridiculous!" There is a generation of such, on whom he that resists the proud will pour contempt. 4. Such as are cruel to the poor and barbarous to all that lie at their mercy (Pro 30:14); their teeth are iron and steel, swords and knives, instruments of cruelty, with which they devour the poor with the greatest pleasure imaginable, and as greedily as hungry men cut their meat and eat it. God has so ordered it that the poor we shall always have with us, that they shall never cease out of the land; but there are those who, because they hate to relieve them, would, if they could, abolish them from the earth, from among men, especially God's poor. Some understand it of those who wound and ruin others by slanders and false accusations, and severe censures of their everlasting state; their tongues, and their teeth too (which are likewise organs of speech), are as swords and knives, Psa 57:4.
Cross-references: Prov 30:10 · Prov 30:12 · Rev 3:17 · Matt 23:25 · Matt 23:26 · Prov 30:13 · Prov 30:14 · Ps 57:4